Using a Bow for Innate Attacks?

[Cassandra]

I'm building a sort of an arcane archer. I'm still not very used to building powers using Advantages, so I could use your help on these. If you could at least check if these are right.

Concept: The character is an archer who, when firing a bow, can concentrate for a second and instead of firing the arrow as usual, he transforms it into a magical arrow (the normal arrow disappears into Limbo or whatever). He uses his normal Bow skill to hit. He can only use these abilities a few times a day. It's worth noting that he has his own bow and arrows, but the power itself is not tied to these, he could use ANY short/regular/long bow and arrow.

I've built two attacks so far:

MAGICAL ARROW: Impaling 3d [24] (-45%)
* Increased Range x5 (+20%)
* Accessibility: Only When Firing an Arrow (-30%)
* Costs Fatigue: 1 (-5%)
* Limited Use: 6/day (-10%)
* Takes Extra Time: 1 turn to ready (-10%)
* Magic (-10%)
TOTAL 14 pts

EXPLODING ARROW: Burning 4d [20] (+25%)
* Increased Range x5 (+20%)
* Explosion: Damage Divided by 2x Distance (+100%)
* Accessibility: Only When Firing an Arrow (-30%)
* Costs Fatigue: 3 (-15%)
* Limited Use: 2/day (-30%)
* Takes Extra Time: 1 turn to ready (-10%)
* Magic (-10%)
TOTAL 25 pts

Note: "Accessibility: Only When Firing an Arrow (-30%)" I decided this should be about right, because the example "Only playing a trumpet" is -20%, and this required more than just having a bow; the archer needs to have both the bow and the arrow, and then ready the arrow.

Both of them are missing the modifier for using the Bow skill. I don't know how to add that one. Could someone please check these to see if I'm missing something important.

Thanks!

[Lonewulf]

Don't forget that the second attack can be handled as an alternative attack, unless you can fire two+ arrows at once and still have the abilities be usable.

[Not another shrubbery]

Originally Posted by Cassandra

I'm building a sort of an arcane archer. I'm still not very used to building powers using Advantages, so I could use your help on these. If you could at least check if these are right.

* Accessibility: Only When Firing an Arrow (-30%)

Note: "Accessibility: Only When Firing an Arrow (-30%)" I decided this should be about right, because the example "Only playing a trumpet" is -20%, and this required more than just having a bow; the archer needs to have both the bow and the arrow, and then ready the arrow.

The Accessibility is over-valued at -30%, IMO. I've seen it pegged as low as -10%, but -15% or -20% seem more fitting, the latter would assume a general -10% limit each for the bow and arrows. We've had a few Innate Attacks modeled as bows posted on the board, which you can probably find by searching on 'arrow' or the like. RPK has a nice write-up of an assortment of such attacks on his site, under Creating a "Super Archer", that might help you.

[jspade]

Originally Posted by Cassandra

Note: "Accessibility: Only When Firing an Arrow (-30%)" I decided this should be about right, because the example "Only playing a trumpet" is -20%, and this required more than just having a bow; the archer needs to have both the bow and the arrow, and then ready the arrow.

I think this is overvalued. While it requires more gear than playing the trumpet, having and using a bow & arrow is a combat-useful action in and of itself, while playing a trumpet is typically not useful (and often downright counterproductive) during an adventure. I'd call this a -5% Nuisance Effect in one of my games.

Originally Posted by Cassandra

Both of them are missing the modifier for using the Bow skill. I don't know how to add that one. Could someone please check these to see if I'm missing something important.

I'd call that a +0% feature; Bow is harder than Innate Attack, after all.

[Cassandra]

Revised versions:

All the attacks include this:

Magic Arrow Limitation: [TOTAL -30%]: Increased ½D Range 50 m (+10%); Increased Max Range 200 m (+5%); Skill: Uses Bow Instead of Innate Attack (+0%); Accessibility: Only When Firing an Arrow (-20%); Takes Extra Time: 1 turn to ready (-10%); Blockable (-5%); Magic (-10%)

Magical Arrow: Impaling 3d [24] (+5%)
* Magic Arrow (-30%)
* Armor Divisor (2) (+50%)
* Costs Fatigue: 1 (-5%)
* Limited Use: 10/day (-10%)
TOTAL 26 PTS

Exploding Arrow: Burning 4d [20] (+25%)
* Magic Arrow (-30%)
* Explosion: Damage Divided by 2x Distance (+100%)
* Costs Fatigue: 3 (-15%)
* Limited Use: 2/day (-30%)
TOTAL 25 PTS

And a new one:

Binding Arrow: Binding ST 15 [30] (+30%)
* Magic Arrow (-30%)
* Unbreakable (+40%)
* Area Effect: 2 Meter Radius (+50%)
* Based on Will (+20%) (Contest of Will vs ST 15 to break free)
* Environmental: Victim Must Touch Ground (-20%)
* One-shot (-10%)
* Costs Fatigue: 2 pts (-10%)
* Limited Use: 4/day (-20%)
TOTAL 39 PTS (Magical strands rise from the ground, binding the victims unless the can will themselves free. The strands are impossible to break or physically force oneself free from them. Only Magic or Willpower will negate them.)

Using alternative attacks, the total point cost would be 39 + 6 + 5 = 50 pts.

I feel that -20% is alright for having to use a bow and a readied arrow. This includes time to ready the attack, the loss of an arrow (the original one disappears, cannot be fetched from the body after the battle), and the need for having the equipment with you. I understand the other points, but since I'm the GM in this one, and making these PC's for my players for a one-shot adventure, I'm ruling that -20% is right. :) -30 was too much, though, yes.

Comments and suggestions are welcome!

[Lonewulf]

Other types of arrows you could have:

Acid Arrow (corrosive damage, good for destroying armor, shields, or locks on doors!)

Divine Arrow/Demonic Arrow: Extra damage to "holy" or "unholy" creatures only. Shines with a bright light, or seems to be made of living shadow (or fire, or whatever demons in your character's world tends to have).

Arrow of Shadow: Wherever this arrow strikes, it creates a large block of shadow for a few moments. Good for confusing people or pulling a quick disappearing trick. (Not sure how to handle this).

Water Arrow: Straight out of Thief. Harmless arrow that essentially acts as a water balloon. Good for dousing out torches and the like. (Probably would count as an Accessory).

Tangling Arrows: Like Binding Arrow, but requires two arrows, which has a magical rope connecting the two. Short range, but can be used for any kind of bola-esque attack. Probably useless once you have binding arrow, though.

Rope Arrow: Like from Dark Messiah, this arrow will dig in and drop a magical rope to climb up. Useful accessibility, but honestly realistically useless (I kinda doubt that an arrow would be able to support your weight! :D)

Arrow of Wind: A "fake" arrow that actually *doesn't* require an arrow, as you essentially craft an "invisible" arrow from pure wind. It's short ranged (probably 10 yards or the like), and at the most acts as a non-damaging knockback crushing attack. Like water arrow, above, it can also douse out light flames... and not leave behind an arrow for evidence. Good for certain situations, for when you don't have any ammunition left, and, of course, parties!

If you want to get REALLY crazy, you could always get into crazy stuff similar to shadowdancers from D&D.

Attack From Shadows: If you attack a shadow, the arrow can disappear and reappear from another significant shadow (none of that "partial shadow" BS, I mean dark shadows where you can barely see!); this can potentially hit a shadow in front of you , and strike a person behind you from a shadow behind him. Not sure how to handle this overall, though.

Attack From Mirrors: As above, but only works for reflective surfaces. For a clean mirror, you make no roll. However, the less perfect a reflection, then you roll vs. a decreasing number, and if you roll too high, the arrow doesn't teleport. You can apply this system to the shadows above, as well.

Attack From Environment: Ice, Fire, Water, Earth, Metal... all make good things you can disappear your arrow into.

[Captain-Captain]

I'd use the -20% value for using a bow. The fact that the normal use of the bow has a takes time requirement is negated by learning the fast draw: Arrow skill, which a Bow based character will almost certainly learn.

As to the attack, you're going to love this: take a die (or a point) of innate attack damage for the arrow itself. Require that it needs a bow shot and add the muscle powered enhancment for +100% so you're doing your ST and the 1 or 1d damage combined.

Now your bow shot is a powered attack. Buy the attacks you want and set them up as follow up attacks. Occasionally the follow attack will fail when the first attack misses. That means the impaling barbs in the arrow failed to pop out to do the extra damage. (Or whatever special effect it is that justifies the impaling damage) or your bomb was a dud.

You're still doing your basic bow damage plus one or plus one die original attack damage.

Traditionally such characters also have boxing glove arrows and boomerang arrows. ;)

observe:

http://www.superherostuff.com/OtherI...on_Figure2.gif

http://www.greatlakesavengers.com/bios-hawkeye.jpg